Paving machines or pavers are used to apply, spread, and compact a mat of material relatively evenly over a desired base. These machines are regularly used in the construction of roads, parking lots, and other areas where a smooth durable surface is required for cars, trucks, and other vehicles to travel. A paving machine generally includes a hopper for receiving paving material from a supply machine or vehicle, such as a supply truck, and a conveyor system for transferring the paving material rearwardly from the hopper to a screed assembly for discharge onto a roadbed base. The screed assembly smooths and somewhat compacts the paving material and, preferably, leaves a mat of generally uniform depth and smoothness.
When preparing to supply the paving machine hopper with material from the supply truck (or other supply machine), a truck operator backs the supply truck up so that it is just short of the paving machine. The paving machine is permitted to interface with the supply truck, making contact therewith. After the paving machine contacts with the supply truck, the truck operator may raise the supply truck bed to deliver material to the paving machine hopper. The paving machine pushes the supply truck forward as the supply truck delivers the material to the hopper. It is generally desirable that the paving machine keep as consistent a speed as possible throughout the paving process. During the interfacing process between the paving machine and the supply truck, when the paving machine and supply truck contact, however, the impact can cause the screed to shift around and create an inconsistency, discontinuity, or other deviation or detect in the paving mat. The deviation or defect might not be able to be rolled out, in which case it could be aesthetically unappealing and/or decrease ride quality of the paved mat.
Generally, a lot of manual communication between the paving machine operator, truck operator, and potentially ground crew is required to manage the interface between the supply truck and the paving machine. Some paving machines include hydraulic cylinders or other dampening devices to cushion the impact to help reduce the effect of a bump to the paving machine during the interfacing contact with the supply truck. However, such dampening devices require expensive hydraulics or the like.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2018/0142427 discloses an apparatus for controlling the movement of a material transfer vehicle with respect to the front end of a paving machine that is being supplied by the material transfer vehicle. The apparatus includes a controller that is mounted on the material transfer vehicle for controlling the steering and speed of the material transfer vehicle. A sensor, mounted on the material transfer vehicle and operatively connected to the controller, is located and adapted to execute multiple non-contact sensor scan passes across the front end of the paving machine to determine the distance from the sensor to the paving machine. The sensor is also adapted to communicate information to the controller about the distance from the sensor to the paving machine. The apparatus includes no components that are mounted on the paving machine. U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2018/0142427 does not address controlling contact between a paving machine and a material supply machine or vehicle, such as a supply truck, to reduce deviations or defects in the paved mat.